Beaming apparatus



March 23, 1965 w. DUNCAN ETAL 3,174,207

BEAMING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 COMPARISON FIG.1

March 23, 1965 w. L. DUNCAN ETAL 3,174,207

BEAMING APPARATUS V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1963 FIG- FIG-3 FIG-5 United States Patent 3,174,207 BEAMING APPARATUS William Laulrford Duncan and Charles Edward Rathermel, Jr., Wayneshoro, Va., assignors to E. I. du Pont de Neinours and Company, Wilmington, Deh, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 275,755 6 Claims. (U. 2832) This invention relates generally to the warp-beaming of textile or industrial yarns and, more particularly, to apparatus improvements useful in a beaming operation.

In such an operation, it is customary to withdraw a large number of yarn ends from individual packages and to parallelize those ends in a warp as they pass through successive guide devices to a rotatably driven beam. The last guide device enroute the beam is usually an elongated reed or comb. If the warp is not wound uniformly, adjacent yarn ends often become snagged or trapped on the beam in such a manner as to cause difficulties in subsequent end-use operations. Previous attempts to accomplish uniform winding have included the use of presser rolls, traversing reeds and combs, and otherwise stationary reeds and combs provided with manually adjustable means which facilitate positioning of the warp on the beam. A traversing reed or comb, by its slow back and forth oscillation, restricts each yarn end to a narrow region on the beam and thus reduces the occurrence of trapped ends. However, the winding irregularities which usually develop adjacent the beam flanges, i.e., in the selvage yarn, as a result of conditions dissimilar to those experienced by body windings are not avoided by th employment of a simple traversing reed or comb. In general, the addition of manually adjustable means for positioning the traversing guide device and, therefore, the

warp relative to the beam has only pointed out the need for improved control of selvage build.

The most important object of the present invention is to provide for the effective, continuous and automatic control of selvage build in beaming operations.

A corollary objective is to provide apparatus improve ments which facilitate the uniform winding of plural yarn ends on a beam.

Another object of our invention is the provision of control features with which the probability of trapped ends or incorrect selvage build at the beam flanges is substantially reduced.

These and other objectives are ccomplished in a yarn beaming apparatus including a positionable guide device with which plural yarn ends are parallelized in a warp as they pass to a driven beam and a control installation for positioning that guide device. The latter installation comprises motor means connected to the guide device for moving it relative to the beam, velocity transducers contacting a number of the yarn ends in their approach to the beam and comparator circuits receiving the transducer outputs. The comparator circuits are connected to the motor means in such a manner as to automatically position the guide device responsive to velocity differentials.

In the following description of an operative embodiment, reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FlGURE 1 is a schematic illustration, in perspective, of an otherwise conventional beaming apparatus into which the selvage build control features of the present invention have been incorporated;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed perspective view of the signalgenerating velocity transducers shown at each side of the warp in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the positionable reed and associated equipment shown perspectiveiy in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic showing of beam profiles in which there is a selvage build irregularity at only one end of the beam; and

PEG. 5 is a similar diagrammatic showing of beam profiles in which there is a sclvage build irregularity at both ends of the beam.

The particular beaming apparatus chosen for purposes of illustration includes generally as components thereof a rotatably driven beam 10, a delivery roll 12, a laterally and vertically positionable fan reed 14 and an eye board lei through which plural yarn ends or other stranded structures 13 are drawn by beam Ill from a creel or other supply source (not shown).

Fan reed 14 includes a frame 2d within which a plurality of angularly disposed, spaced wires are mounted. As shown in FIG. 3, wires 21, 22 are disposed in opposite directions from a vertical center line so that vertical movement of frame Ell within U-shaped channel member 23 causes expansion or contraction of the warp. Similarly, translatory movement of the frame in channel member 23 causes a corresponding translation of the warp relative to beam it Vertical movement is imparted to frame 2d by the interaction of a rack 24 and its associated pinion which is driven by a servo motor 25 through a gear box and a flexible shaft 26. Frame Zll is moved to the left or right in channel member 23 by the interaction of a rack 27 and its associated pinion which is driven by a servo motor 28 through a gear box and a flexible shaft 29. As indicated at 3%, suitable mechanism of the type shown, for example, by Clarkson and Hilton in Canadian. Patent No. 651,949 is provided for traversing or reciprocating channel 23 and the components mounted thereon as a unit during a beaming operation.

Between reed l4 and board 16, dual velocity transducers 32, 343 of the type shown in FIG. 2 are located at opposite sides of the warp. Each of the transducers 32, 34 includes a central stand so and two side stands 38, 46 on which earn-dimensional grooved wheels or pulleys 42, are rotatably mounted on the terminal ends of separate stub shafts. These wheels have radially opposed transverse apertures 46 through which light is transmitted intermittently from source 48 on stand 36 to photoelectric cells 50, 52 on stands 38, 4d. One wheel of each transducer is driven by an outside or selvage yarn end whereas the other wheel is driven by an interior or body end. A positive drive of the low inertia, low friction wheels 42, 44 is insured by so locating transducers 32, 34 that there is a yarn warp of about 350 on each wheel. To prevent the development of slack due to wheel inertia when the beam is stopped, an electrically actuated tension device is associated with each sensed yarn end in the vicinity of the creel. The light flashes detected by photo cells 5th, 52 are transmitted as voltage pulses through conductors SE-Sd (FIG. 1) and preamplifiers 58 to individual scaling circuits in a digital conversion unit 60. The digital counts from unit 60 are inputs to a comparator unit 62 where they are stored during a sampling period and compared during a correction period. After comparison, the differential signals are processed and forwarded to and and or circuits to energize relays in a control unit 63. The relays supply control signals through conductors represented by lines 64, 66 for the operation of motors 25, 2%.

In addition to the four scaling circuits connected to conductors 53-56, unit 60 includes a gate circuit which is closed after a preset number of counts, thus preventing further counting by decade counters in unit 62, i.e., the sampling period is terminated after a count relationship proportional to selvage build is stored on the decade counters. The scaling circuit-s continue to count during the ensuing correction period. After a preset number of additional counts, a reset signal is produced, thus returning the scaling circuits to Zero and initiating another sampling period.

As noted above, comparator unit 62 includes decade counters. These counters produce staircase analog voltages which decrease incrementally as the corresponding counts increase and which are compared dilierentially. During the correction period, diiterential vol-tages are supplied to the and and or circuits which, in turn, operate the motor control relays. Depending on the inputs to unit 62, line voltage is transmitted through conductors 64, 66 to one or both of the servo motors 25, 28 to move reed l4 vertically and/or transversely with respect to beam 10. These corrective move ments are superimposed on the continuous traversing stroke indicated at 30.

When the beaming apparatus is placed in operation, the control relays connected to conductors 64, 66 are open and no control signal is sent to either of: motors 25, 28. When one of the conditions illustrated in pro files 70, 72 (FIG. 5) develops, i.e., where the selvage winding diameters are respectively greater and less than the body winding diameters, conductors 66 remain deenergized and conductors 64 are so connected to the line voltage that servo motor 25 is actuated and functions to lower (or raise) reed 14 and thus to expand (or contract) the warp. For example, when a beaming condition corresponding to profile 70 develops, motor 25 is energized to raise reed l4 and thereby contract the warp.

Under the conditions represented in profiles 7d, '76 (FIG. 5), conductors 64 remain de-energized and conductors 66 are so connected to line voltage that motor 28 is actuated and reed M is shifted to the left or right. For example, when a beaming condition corre ponding to profile 7d develops, motor 28 is energized to shift reed 14 to the right relative to beam 10.

Similarly, when only one side of the beam is wound at an irregular level, as shown in the profiles of FIG. 4, motor 28 is actuated to shift reed M to the right or left as required. Such an initial correction produces one of profiles '70, 72 and motor 25 is then actuated to efieot the warp expansion or contraction necessary to produce a profile of the desired shape.

In operation, a control voltage of sufiicient amplitude to drive either motor is produced whenever there is a pulse differential of about six or more between conductors 53, 54 and/or between conductors 55, 56 during a sampling period. This means that corrective controlling action is initiated whenever there is a velocity difference in the order of 0.1% between selvage and body yarn ends. When the latter factor is related to selvage build, it means that beam diameter variations as small as are detected and corrected.

Although illustrated herein in connection with a traversing fan reed, it is apparent that the control features of the present invention are equally applicable to those beaming operations in which the final guide device is a positionable reed, comb or the like, either traversing or non-traversing. If desired, internal electronic feed back can be designed into the scaling circuitry in digital conversion unit 60 to allow adjustment of selvage build to other than level beam contours. Similarly, the outputs of the scaling circuits associated with conductors 54, 55 and therefore with body yarn ends can be used to control apparatus for correcting beam taper variations. It is equally apparent that other changes and modifications, either in the control installation or in the beaming apparatus, may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention which is, therefore, intended to e limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a yarn beaming apparatus including an elongated,

: al s-ax movably mounted, guide device through which plural yarn ends pass in a Warp to a driven beam, a control installation comprising: motor means connected to the device for moving the latter relative to said beam; velocity transducers contacting at least three of said yarn ends in their approach to said beam; and comparator circuitry eceiving the outputs of said transducers, said circuitry being connected to said motor means for actuating the latter and thereby repositioning yarn ends in said warp responsive to a velocity differential.

2. The beaming apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said transducers comprises a wheel mounted for rotation about its axis and driven by its contact with a yarn end, said wheel having associated therewith means for generating a signal proportional to its rotational velocity, said signal being one of the outputs received by said circuitry.

3. The beaming apparatus of claim 2 wherein said siggenerating means includes a light source directed at one side or" said wheel and a photoelectric cell situated on the opposite side, said wheel having at least one aperture through which light is transmitted intermittently to said cell.

4. In a yarn beaming apparatus including an elongated, positionable, guide device through which plural yarn ends pass in a Warp to a driven beam, 2. motor connected to the device for positioning the latter relative to said beam and a control circuit connected to said motor, means for generating input signals for the control circuit, said means comprising: at least two wheels mounted for rotation about their axes and driven by their contact with separate yarn ends, there being a light source directed at one side of each wheel and a photoelectric cell situated on the opposite side, each wheel having at least one aperture through which light is transmitted intermittently to the associated cell.

5. A yarn beaming apparatus comprising: a driven beam; an elongated guide device through which plural yarn ends pass to said beam as a warp, said device being slidably mounted to facilitate vertical and lateral adjustments; first and second motor means coupled to said dev'ce for its vertical and lateral adjustment, respectively; at least two signal generating velocity transducers coupled respectively to selvage and body yarn ends at each side of said warp; and control circuitry coupl d to said transducers for comparing the signals therefrom, generating an output dependent on velocity ditterentials and selectively applying said output to one of said motor means.

6. A yarn beaming apparatus comprising: a driven beam; a traversing fan eed through which plural yarn ends pass to said beam as a Warp, said reed being slidably mounted to facilitate vertical and lateral adjustments; motor means connected to said reed for its adjustment; signal generating transducers coupled to at least three of said yarn ends for detecting beam level variations; and a circuit receiving the outputs of said transducers, said circuit including components 'for comparing said outputs, generating a control signal related to said beam level variations and applying said control signal to said motor means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

5. A YARN BEAMING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A DRIVEN BEAM; AN ELONGATED GUIDE DEVICE THROUGH WHICH PLURAL YARN ENDS PASS TO SAID BEAM AS A WARP, SAID DEVICE BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED TO FACILITATE VERTICAL AND LATERAL ADJUSTMENTS; FIRST AND SECOND MOTOR MEANS COUPLED TO SAID DEVICE FOR ITS VERTICAL AND LATERAL ADJUSTMENT, RESPECTIVELY; AT LEAST TWO SIGNAL GENERATING VELOCITY TRANSDUCERS COUPLED RESPECTIVELY TO SELVAGE AND BODY YARN ENDS AT EACH SIDE OF SAID WARP; AND CONTROL CIRCUITRY COUPLED TO SAID TRANSDUCERS FOR COMPARINGG THE SIGNALS THEREFROM, GENERATING AN OUTPUT DEPENDENT ON VELOCITY DIFFERENTIALS AND SELECTIVELY APPLYING OUTPUT TO ONE OF SAID MOTOR MEANS. 